When We Get There
by Melanie Geller
Summary: {Written for a contest at Everlasting Love.) To celebrate their first Valentine's Day, Ross and Rachel take a cruise. And as the ocean's tide changes, so does their love. Four-Part fic. Updated, Chapter Three!
1. Chapter One

**_Hi! This is an entry for Everlasting Love over at Friends-Boards. It's depicting Ross and Rachel's first Valentine's Day together since they became a couple. In my fic, it starts Feb. 10th, and we take it from there. It's a four-part series and I have it all written. It will be up in very close updates. :)_**

**_Please leave me a review and go review the other entries, too!_**

**Title: When we get there**

_Chapter One:_

Ross Geller smiled as he woke up to the soft sunshine streaming down his face. Next to her, Rachel Green, his rekindled love of nine months, was still in a deep slumber.

He sighed deeply, marveling at her beauty. Though she was still asleep, Ross never failed to amaze himself at how much he loved her. He loved her smile, her eyelashes, the pout of her lower lip, the way her hair fanned away from her on their lace pillows.

He loved her so much he had given in and bought the lace pillows.

As Rachel's eyes fluttered slightly, like a butterfly learning of its grace, Ross knew she must be having a dream. Slowly, he lay his head next to hers and enveloped her in his arms, taking as much Rachel as space would allow.

He wondered to himself if it was shameful to hope her dreams were about him.

After laying contentedly by her for a long while, Ross forced himself to glance at the clock ticking by their bedside.

8:15. Ross groaned. Their flight left at one-thirty, and they had to arrive at the airport by at least eleven. He knew Rachel would kill him if he didn't wake her up in time for her to have at least three hours to prepare.

As soft as he could manage, Ross chuckled. Her quirks were one of the many things he loved about her.

"Ughhhhh..." Without meaning to, he had woken her up.

"Hey, sweetie." Ross planted a garden of kisses from the slope of her nose down to her soft lips. "Good morning."

She smiled, loving the fact that each morning she got to wake up to a man that loved her like Ross did. "Morning," she yawned sleepily, sitting upright in bed to wake herself up.

"Sorry for waking you up," he blushed.

Rachel grinned and moved her body onto his lap, stroking his soft, gel-absent hair as she cooed. "It's fine...I love waking up to laughter." It was so much better than the alternative.

"Well, I'm glad you're up. It's eight-thirty, and we have to leave here in like two and a half hours."

"Oh my God! I'm so excited!" She patted his knees and shrieked in a mock-whisper so she wouldn't wake Emma.

Ross nodded. "Me too. Do you know how many ancient rocks and artifacts you can find in various locations in the Caribbean? I mean-"

Chidingly, Rachel put a manicured finger to his lips. "But that's not why we're going there, honey."

He blushed. "I know. We're going there," he grinned as he quoted the phrase from the cruise line commercial that they had seen, "to rekindle love on the most romantic journey lovers could ever take. To bask in the glorious sunlight and watch the ocean melt harmoniously into the sky. To feast upon an array of exquisite foods, all the while enjoying family filled fun!" His voice dropped to a surreptitious tone as his words became hurried. "Prices may vary, airfare not included."

"That's for sure," Rachel laughed.

Ross got out of bed and Rachel followed him. "Okay, so do you want to get ready and I'll wake Emma?"

"Sure. I only have a few more things to pack, too."

Ross's jaw dropped. "You still have to pack?"

"Yeah. But it's just a couple pairs of shoes, not really anything to worry about."

Ross sighed and pretended to be annoyed. "How many pairs of shoes are you bringing?"

She blushed.

"Rach..."

Rachel hurried over towards him and passionately kissed him for a minute. When she pulled away, Ross slid down the wall, watching her saucily sashay into the bathroom, lassoing her towel around her body.

He shook his head and wiped a pearl-sized bead of sweat from his brow. "That works every time"  
----

"Daddy...wanna go!" Almost two year old Emma Geller Green shrieked from the confines of her plane seat.

"Emma, shh!" Rachel hurriedly looked around, wondering if anyone else on the plane had witnessed her daughter's tantrum.

"Em, you need to be good. Daddy will take you to the pool when we get there," Ross promised his small daughter.

Emma smiled, her blue eyes crinkling in contrast with her silken brunette hair. "POOL!"

"Yes, sweetie, pool. And if Daddy gets you to behave the entire flight, then Mommy will do whatever Daddy wants her to do." Rachel winked at Ross.

Ross scooted closer to his daughter. "So, Emma, what do else do you want Daddy to do? We have books!" Ross threw open the dinosaur tote bag that he was forced to carry. "How about 'Dinosaurs and me?' 'I'm a little T-Rex?' Ooh, what about 'The adventures of Stanley Stegosaur?'" As Emma clapped her sticky hands together, Ross tilted his head towards Rachel, making his signature seduction face.

Rachel turned her head and laughed. God, he was such a dork...but that only made her love him more.

Looking out the vast stretch of runway, Rachel thought of her future. Only nine months ago, she was planning to move to Paris and leave all of this behind. It made her heart sink to even consider what her life might be like without her friends...New York...Ross.

She couldn't wait to get on the ship. Their flight would land in Ft. Lauderdale, and from there they would take a shuttle bus to the bay where they would board their ship, The Explorer of the Seas. A month ago, when Ross had received a considerable pay-raise, he decided to surprise Rachel with a cruse, just in time for Valentine's Day. Today was the tenth, and the big day would take place four days later. Their journeys would take them to Cozumel, The Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. For once, though, Rachel hardly cared where they went. She only was worried about who she was with: her family.

Family. The word sounded so strange, thinking about it. All of her life, she had never even thought she had a family. Back when she was young, she had a mother, father, and two sisters.

But not a family.

Now, however, things were different. As time went on, Rachel began to realize more and more that her, Ross, and Emma weren't just a group of people who ate together and lived under the same roof. They were becoming a family.

Biting her lip as the plane began to rise in the sky, Rachel realized that part of that scared her. With family came security, but also risks. When they were just people living together, there were no dangers, somehow, of that falling apart.

She and Ross weren't married yet- Heck, they hadn't even talked about it in the months that they had been back together!- but a part of her wondered if she what she wanted was a marriage.

From what seemed like a great distance, she heard Emma laugh as Ross did voices for the characters.

Everything was so perfect now, Rachel thought. Why spoil it with marriage?

_'Because he's the man you love...he's taking you on a cruise for Valentine's Day...he's the father of your daughter, and you've known him for twenty years. Marriage is the next logical step._

_Well, not logical. Nothing is really logical for us. It never has been, but that's part of what I like...the excitement, the wondering. If everything turned out the way it should have, then what would I be waiting for today?_

_Maybe I'm just immature. Everyone else I know is already married.'_

Her mind wandered to Monica, Chandler, and their new twins. Well, hardly new now: they were nine months old, crawling, and savaging the perfection of Monica's new home. Strangely enough, Monica learned to deal with the imperfections, and was now embracing them.

Phoebe was married, and even Joey was seriously dating. The girl's name was Alex, if Rachel remembered correctly, and it looked like everyone had finally settled down.

It wasn't as if Rachel hadn't settled down. She, Ross, and Emma had their messy routine life. Every day, Ross would go off to work, Rachel would drop Emma off at daycare and then head to her own job at Ralph Lauren. Mr. Zelner hadn't been happy when she asked for her job back, but they were short-staffed and needed her desperately.

White clouds coated the surrounding barriers of the plane as Rachel glanced over at a sleeping Ross and Emma. Everything was so secure now, so right, so real. It seemed like the right thing to do, but why did everything have to change?  
----

"Oh. My. God. Is that our ship?" Rachel shrieked as the blaring sunlight burned into her fair skin.

"Wow, yeah...It must be. Unless they dropped us off at the wrong harbor," Ross laughed.

"Well, honey, I hope you're wrong because that is the most gorgeous...hunk of metal I've ever seen!"

"I know. This is going to be so much fun."

Rachel shifted her sleeping daughter from one arm to the other. She was getting bigger, and soon they wouldn't be able to lug her around like this. "So can we get on yet?"

Busloads of other people were boarding the ramp to the Explorer.

"I guess so." Ross grabbed four of their suitcases. "God, Rach, I'm going to pack for you from now on."

She snorted as she swung Emma's bag onto her other arm. "That will be a sad day. You'd probably pack only my lingerie."

"You know me too well."

They climbed through a tunnel ramp to get on the ship. "Well, at least I use up my whole suitcase, Ross."

"I have to leave room for souvenirs!"

"You leave room for the hotel shampoos."

He grinned as they finally made it inside the magnificent ship. "Eh, same difference"  
----

"I don't think it's going...to...FIT!" Rachel sighed and slumped to the floor as she stuffed the last of her clothes into a dresser drawer.

Ross peeked his head into the small room from the balcony. "Did it finally shut?"

"Yeah," she huffed. "But I need to take a long nap now."

"Um, Rach? Is there any room left in there for my stuff?"

She glanced around at the surrounding suitcases. "Uh..."

"Don't worry about it. Em and I will live in the corridor."

"Honey! You're making me feel bad. It's not my fault."

"It's fine," laughed Ross. "But I'll bet you that you don't wear every outfit in there."

"Oooh, a bet, huh? Ross Geller, you have got yourself a deal."

Ross sat down on the bed next to Emma who was still sleeping. "I'll bet you that I'll win."

Within a few short steps, Rachel was sitting next to him. "I'm confused now. Are there two bets going on?"

"I'd be willing to bet on it."

She playfully patted him on his chest. "Do you remember when I was pregnant with Emma and Mon and Pheebs bet on when I was going to have her?"

"How could I forget? That was the easiest twenty bucks I ever made."

In her dreamland, Emma stirred, pushing her stuffed animal away from her. The animal's name was Nina, though Emma couldn't pronounce her 'N's properly, and therefore called her 'Wina'. Wina was a dinosaur that wore a lacy dress and high heels, and Emma was never without her.

"Wow," Ross softly admired. "She's getting so big."

"I know. I still can't believe we have her and she's just...growing up before our eyes." Rachel wiped a tear from her eye, a tear that she wasn't even aware of until she saw her own reflection in Ross's eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't...I don't know..." She threw her arms around him as he nuzzled his face into her neck, trying to comfort her from whatever it was.

"Here, let's go stand on the balcony. The ship is taking off and trust me: you don't want to miss this."

He pulled her off the bed and led her to their balcony. The sun was just beginning its descent into the horizon, and soft waves swept sand off the shores. The Florida skyline stared back at them, and the vastness of the ocean lay ahead.

"Wow," Rachel breathed. "It's gorgeous."

Ross drank in her beauty with his eyes, staring at Rachel and not at the sunset. "Yeah. It really is"  
----

_**Thank you for reading! Chapter Two should be up very soon...this weekend. :) This is the first time I'm posting and it's all done already. lol. So please let me know what you think. **_

_**Mel**_

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	2. Chapter Two

_**Wow, thanks for all the great reviews! (Maybe I should start writing more romance; angst/drama never seems to get this many. lol.) I really appreciate the feedback, and here's part two of four. Enjoy!**_

_Chapter Two:_

"Chicken, chicken! Wina want chicken!"

"Em, baby, quiet. We're in a nice place right now, and you have to behave yourself," corrected Rachel.

Tears began to pool in Emma's eyes. "No chicken for Wina?"

"Honey, of course Wina can have some chicken. But you have to eat it first."

Ross smiled at Rachel. "Rach, do you really think she's understanding you?"

"Well, let's hope so. How will she ever eat in nice restaurants if I don't teach her manners?"

"Considering that she's not quite two yet, I'm going to say that we have years to teach her manners."

"Why are you always right?"

"I don't know...Good guesses, maybe?"

Rachel shook her head, her golden hair shimmering in the dim light of the dining room. Thousands of people fit comfortably inside the three-story dining area. Hundreds of floor-to-ceiling glass windows provided a view of the ocean nightlife for the dining residents.

The Geller-Green table sat right by a window on the first floor. At the moment, the coastline of a small island was visible and the lights from it sparkled like stars against black velvet.

After eating, Ross and Rachel retired to their room, little Emma trotting behind them with her dinosaur.

"God, Ross, look at all the shows and parties going on right now! Aww, I want to go," she playfully whined.

"Well, what could we do with Emma?"

"Umm...bring her?"

"Rach, I don't think we can. I mean, you think she can't behave in a restaurant, how about in a show?"

"Well..." she trailed off, not knowing how to respond.

"Yeah."

"What if I held her or something during the show? Or, or," her face flushed a brilliant red, signifying she had come up with an idea. "How about if we find a babysitter?"

"They have those here?"

"I think so. I think I saw something about it on the infomercial. It's sort of like a nighttime daycare the parents can put their kids in."

"Oh, that's not a bad idea," Ross agreed. "But do you think it's okay? I mean, this is our family vacation."

There was that word again, Rachel thought. "Sure, I mean, we could use some alone time."

"All right, Miss Green. Lead the way." He motioned and she led. As Ross used her maiden name, he couldn't help but wonder if one day he could call her his wife.

It wasn't like Ross was dying to get married; he'd been there, done that. Yet a part of him was longing for more. People would wonder why he lived with his girlfriend, had a child with his girlfriend, and had loved his girlfriend for more than twenty years.

_'Nobody understands. It's more complicated than they think. If they were us, then they would know what it was like to live our lives. Maybe one day we'll get married, but maybe that day will never come.'_

His heart broke at the thought of not spending the rest of his life with Rachel.

Through the bustling corridors, Caribbean splashed floral print carpeting, sealed wooden doors, and narrow black suitcase, was a ring. Whenever Ross thought about it, his heart jumped in worriment.

_'What if she didn't say yes? What if she wasn't ready? What if...what if I'm not ready?'_

Questions plagued his heart, and it was times like these that Ross Geller wished someone would tell him what to do.

----

"When we gonna get there?" whined Emma, looking adorable in her bright pink tank-top dress with matching hat.

"Soon, sweetie. We have to wait in line for a little while." Rachel droned, fanning herself with a map of the ship.

"Rach, we've been in line for like an hour. Are you sure they didn't forget us?" Ross muttered softly so the surrounding, equally annoyed, occupants of the ship would not hear.

Rache sighed and pressed the dripping surface of her water bottle against her face. "How could they forget us, Ross? They don't just forget to let hundreds of people off the ship!"

"I guess so. I just really want to go. I've never been to Cozumel before."

"I know." Rachel looked down at Emma who was currently feeding Wina a grape. "Em, don't you think you should eat those? I mean, Wina doesn't eat grapes. She eats other dinosaurs."

"Actually, Rach, she's a herbivore, and eats only plants." Ross looked at her face and saw a mixture of annoyance and exhaustion. She had been up all night, seasick, and only wanted to get off the boat. "But, I'm sure that Wina will eat whatever you tell her to, Em, so don't feed her your grapes anymore."

Ten minutes later, the line finally began to progress. "Hey, we're moving!" Rachel cried out in delight, jumping up off the cool ground and following Ross and Emma into the wild Caribbean sunlight.

"Wow, this is gorgeous!" exclaimed Ross when he saw the palm trees and crystal ocean.

"I know. So what should we do first?"

Just then, a woman carrying a plastic heads with cornrows on it approached them. "Hello! You want braids?"

Rachel smiled sweetly. "Oh, no thank you. We're just going to-"

She pointed at Emma, her accent somewhat hard to decipher. "She wants braids?"

"Oh, no she's still a little young, and-"

She then smiled at a horrified Ross. "No braids for Daddy, right? How about tattoo?"

"No, really, it's quite all right," Ross stammered, not used to the straightforwardness. "We're just about to leave." He grabbed Rachel's arm. "C'mon, Rach."

"Now, are you sure, Ross? I mean, remember when Monica got cornrows? I think it's a family look-"

"Rach! Don't encourage her!"

Emma tugged at the bottom of Ross's shirt. "Daddy, Wina want bwaids!"

Rachel envisioned her daughter's stuffed animal with cornrows and laughed. "Emma, look!The ocean!"

Her blue eyes flew open and her head swiveled around. "Where?"

----

"Ugh, I am so tired," moaned Rachel as she flopped down on the bed. She absentmindedly stroked a sleeping Emma's hair as Ross grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels.

"Really? So I'm guessing you don't want to go to any on-ship parties tonight?" Ross joked.

"Ha ha. What would you do if I said yes?"

"Well, I'd probably make you go by yourself."

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding. I'd get up, wake up our sleeping daughter, take her back to the play area, wait for you to get dressed, and go with you."

Rachel grinned. "Someone wants to get lucky tonight, doesn't he?"

Ross put on his puppy-dog face.

"Aw, he does!"

"I'll take it you're over your seasickness?"

Rachel stopped chiding. "Wow. I...I totally forgot about that. I guess so."

"Well, that's good." He smiled and grabbed her off the bed. "Because come here. Last night, when you were sick, I stepped out onto the balcony. And you would love this."

Stepping out, a whole new world unveiled before their eyes. The reflection from the ship cast a mirage upon the tranquil ocean, and the hues of golden whites played a symphony of colors igniting rushes of sleepy waves to the magnificent ship.

"Wow," she breathed. "I can't believe I missed this last night."

For one moment, the whole ocean was still and they were the only people on earth. Two lovers, trapped in the arm of time, waiting for their story to commence. Ross put his arm around her waist and began to massage her lower back. She lay her head on his shoulder and the two rocked back and forth to a nonexistent tune. It was moments like these that they savored and held on to for years to come.

"I love you, Rach," he whispered softly in her ear.

As she slowly released her lips from his, she smiled and gazed into the eyes she had known forever. "I love you, too"  
----

"Mommy, Wina go swim?" Emma peeked her head in the bathroom where Rachel was resting her head in her arm that was perched on the edge of the toilet seat.

"What, sweetie?" she answered in a feeble, seasick tone.

"Wina go swim?"

"Maybe Daddy will take you and Wina swimming when he gets back," Rachel muttered, wishing Ross would return soon.

It was their first full day at sea, and Rachel's stomach was not handling that well. It was Valentine's day, and Rachel was sick. She only hoped she would recover soon.

_'God, Ross, where are you?'_ she wondered.  
----

"Hey, do you think we should wake him up?" a short girl with dark brown hair wondered to her little brother.

"Nah, let's let him sleep. Who knows how red he'll get!" exclaimed the devious ten year old.

"But Matt, don't you think that he could be at risk for skin cancer, laying out here in the sun like this?" She chewed at her fingernails, a bad habit she had developed as of late.

"God, Meg, you worry so much. He's a grown man, and I think he'll wake up on his own. What if he turns out to be some sort of freak who waits for little kids to wake him up?"

"Matthew!" Meghan pushed him off the lawn chair on the top deck. The sun's rays were at their peak, and the man beside them was getting quite a sunburn. "Well, I think I'm going to wake him up."

"All right, you do that. But I'm going to wait," he stepped backwards ten steps towards the door that led to the stargazing planetarium. "Way back here."

"Freak," she muttered and proceeded to wake up the man. "Excuse me? Er, Sir?"

Ross Geller stirred in his dream. _'Is she going to say yes? Should I even propose? I mean, how should I ask her? Is Rachel ready? Am I ready?' _In his dream, she approached him, and it was now or never.

He mumbled out loud, "Will you marry me?"

Meghan sprung up from her chair, alarmed. "Oh my God! I'm fifteen!"

With her words, Ross snapped out of his reverie. "Huh?"

But by then, the young girl was running back to her room.

He stretched sitting up, and noticed a strange tingling feeling covering his back. As he sat up further, Ross was aware that his back felt stretched, like a dry piece of sand paper, stretched to its limit.

"Ouch!"

He put a hand slowly to his back and he realized he was sunburned. Slapping himself on the head, he thought he must've been out there for more than two hours, leaving Rachel and Emma.

_'Oh my God. I told Rachel that I'd be back in thirty minutes!'_ Ross grabbed his towel, and tread lightly on the hot ground.

He knew she hadn't been feeling well, rocking waters did her in, and he had offered to pick up some medicine before their big dinner tonight. In addition to that, he had to make plans for something else, something they had both been putting off for so long.

Wincing with one hand on his back, Ross made his way back to their cabin, remembering what he had to do.

----

**_Thanks for reading, and chapter three is done...it will be up shortly. Just in case anyone was wondering, the kids (Meghan and Matthew) are based of me and my brother, but I used our friend's names. lol. And that's really what we'd do in that situation, more or less. ;) _**

**_Please leave me a review!_**

**_Mel_**


	3. Chapter Three

_**Thanks for reviewing the last chapter, I really love all the reviews. :) (Well, yeah, who doesn't? ;)) Though this chapter may be shorter, it is very important to the next chapter...which, by the way, is about as long as the whole fic so far. :) I separated it...differently. ;)**_

**_Please let me know what you thought about this chapter, and the next one will be up very soon! Thanks!_**

_Chapter Three_

"So, dude...are you, like, ever going to ask her?" Chandler scratched the woven upholstery on the new couches in he and Monica's living room.

Ross sighed. Whenever he came to visit Monica and Chandler, Rachel and his relationship was always the constant conversation topic. "I don't...I don't know. Maybe."

"Well, I think you should do it. I mean, you would probably last at least a year, and that's got to besome sort ofrecord for you-"

Ross cut him off. "Hey! Well, I think I'll ask her when I'm ready. When we're ready. I mean, everything is working so...well right now. I just don't get why I should have to spoil everything. I mean, both of us don't have great luck when it comes to marriage, but relationships...we're okay at that."

"All right. I mean, I'm not here to pressure you or anything, but I just need to catch up on the Ross and Rachel gossip. I mean, I live out in the suburbs with my wife and kids. God, I need a life," he chided.

"Hey!" Monica shouted from the other room. "Chandler, are you scratching at the couch again?"

Chandler blushed, relieved that she hadn't heard his joke. "Of course not, sweetie, I can read the sign!" Chandler laughed, patted Ross on the back, and picked up the meticulous sign from where he had thrown it down.  
----

As Rachel lay on the bathroom floor, she heard a cell phone ring. Groaning, she reached out of the bathroom for her purse and grabbed it on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Rach!"

"Hey, Mon. What's up?"

Monica's voice sounded very far away. "Oh, nothing much. I was just calling to see how you and Ross are enjoying the Caribbean!"

She coughed. "Yeah, it's fun."

"Rach, are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm just a little seasick."

Monica laughed. "Since when do _you_ get seasick?"

"Oh, since about three days ago."

"Wow. And you never did all those times on your father's boat?"

An uneasy feeling came over Rachel. "Uh, actually, no. But I'm sure this is just because it's a big ship. Yeah, that must be it."

"Oh. So do you guys have any big Valentine's Day plans?"

"Well, Ross is surprising me with dinner. And I think that's about it. What are you and Chandler doing?"

She laughed. "Probably sleeping. It's like the twins are on steroids right now, and we'rerunning on over-drive. We're getting a babysitter and a hotel room. We'll take it from there."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, I hope so." Monica paused for a moment, thinking silently to herself if Ross would finally propose to Rachel that night. "Well, you and Ross have a good night. Kiss Emma for me and I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Rachel clicked her cell off and groaned. Where _was_ he?

From the bathroom, Rachel heard a blood-curdling scream. "MOMMY!"

She bolted up from the toilet, almost getting sick again. Running out to the balcony, she spotted Emma, leaning over the edge. She'd been so ill that she hadn't noticed her daughter open the door and walk out. "Oh my God! Emma!" She scooped the screaming toddler in her arms. "What were you doing, sweetie?"

Emma's face was a beet red, and her hair matted around her face. A small trail of tears dripped from her delicately blue eyes and her bright red lips were downward. "Mama," she hiccupped. "Wina!"

From the bedside, Rachel searched for the dinosaur. "What, honey, where is she?"

"Ocean," she gulped.

"What?"

"Wina go bye-bye!" she wailed.

"In the ocean, baby?"

Emma merely nodded, burying her head in Rachel's shoulder.

Rachel, Emma in arms, walked out and looked over the balcony. She stared out into the ocean, wondering where her life was going. It was Valentine's Day, and almost their actual anniversary. Rachel's stomach churned at the thought that Ross would probably propose or do something else that night.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to propose; she was just afraid of what she really wanted: to keep her family together. She sighed, walking back into the room, wondering if marriage was the best step for them, a couple that had been worn and weathered._ 'It's about time you've gotten married for real, Rach. You're almost thirty-five.'_

Emma curled up on the bed in a ball, wondering why the world was so cruel to take away the one thing she loved.

Rachel kissed her sobbing daughter on the forehead. "It's okay, baby. Whatever happens, it's going to be all right." She had no doubts about the fact that her and Ross would be together forever. Yet when they said forever out loud, it somehow jeopardized it. "Yeah, no matter what...It's going to be okay." She lay back on the bed and moved with the rocking of the ship. "We're going to be all right."  
----

**_Thanks for reading...reviewing...the whole enchilada. :) Muchas gracias, mis amigos! ;)_**

****

**_And no, I'm not Spanish. But I can talk the talk...walk the walk...and...yeah. lol. ;)_**

**_Mel_**


	4. Chapter Four

_**Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews! Here is the last chapter of this fic, I hope you all enjoy. :) It's the first true fic, though it was short, that I've actually finished. And it's sad to say it, but I'm very proud of that. ;) It was also new for me because I typically don't write just romance and humor. I've always written romance/drama, or angst. Especially angst. So this one was different for me in many aspects, and I hope that everyone liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)**_

_Chapter Four:_

Drab gray walls paled in comparison to the rest of the ship. Where was the ocean-view, the gaudily extravagant decor?

Rachel shook her head. Cruise ship infirmaries sure were lacking.

One of the doctors, a portly woman in her mid-fifties, walked up to Rachel as she tried to place herself strategically farther from an ill man.

"Hi there, my name is Sandy. Is someone helping you?"

Rachel smiled. Finally! "Actually, no. I was wondering, um, what to do about seasickness? Can I have some Dramamine or something?"

The doctor tapped her clipboard, oblivious to the surrounding sickly passengers, and surveyed Rachel. She peered over her spectacles and frowned. "You're seasick?"

"Um, yeah. I mean, not right now, but let me tell you...an hour ago, things weren't looking too good from the bathroom floor, if you know what I mean!"

"But you're fine now?"

"Yeah, but I mean, who knows?" Rachel shrugged, stumbling slightly over her words. "I never got sick on my father's boat as a child, but all of the sudden...I'm just falling all over the place."

Sandy frowned. This patient was awfully rosy to be seasick. Glancing over at her other ashen, patients, it dawned on her. "Honey, do you think you could be pregnant?"

Rachel dropped her faux-straw beach bag to the floor and it landed with a loud thud. "What?"

"Have you been sexually active?"

"I'm a thirty year old woman," Rachel lied about her age. "And I'm on a Valentine's Day cruise with my boyfriend. You tell me."

"Well, there go the mood swings." The doctor peeked in one of the empty rooms. "Why don't you take a seat in there and I'll run a quick test for you, okay?"

Rachel was stunned, flabbergasted, in awe. Yet she took the news like it was nothing. "Yeah. Okay."

_'What the heck is my problem?'_ She thought to herself as she put on a paper robe. _'When I was pregnant with Emma, I could barely console myself. Now, I'm just like...whatever.'_

With Emma, there had been risks. It was exciting, and dangerous. But now, there was no issue of where she would live or how she would tell the father. If she was indeed pregnant, then she had nothing to fear.

Rachel grinned.

She had a family now.  
----

"Okay, Emma, Daddy will be back to pick you up later," Ross cooed to his tear-stained daughter. "He and Mommy are going to have a romantic dinner, and...well, we'll be back much later."

Ross held her tightly in her arms; she was still upset about losing her stuffed animal.

When he had reached the daycare area, Ross set her down after making sure she was checked in. "All right, Em. Daddy loves you."

"No Wina?" She teetered on the edge of her toes.

"No, sweetie," he said sadly, in spite of himself. "No Wina."

He walked away quickly, so as not to start a flow of tears. Ross had work to do, things to get ready, and so little time.

But then again, he never had enough time, anyway.  
----

Rachel giggled as she spun around in her Valentine's Day dress. An off white, strapless dress hung on her body. Her golden hair was swept away from her shoulders, half-back in curls that cascaded down her tanned back. She felt free.

Free of all inhibitions known previously; free from all feelings of doubt; free from hatred, agony, sickness, and pain.

It was a new sensation, and Rachel felt as if she had been born again.

She stepped out onto the balcony. The sun was just beginning to set, and a deep red had settled over the horizon. It was almost as if nature knew today was Valentine's day.

A soft wind ruffled her hair, and Rachel pressed a small hand to her stomach. Soon, there would be four of them.

Maybe it was the fact that she was pregnant again that made her want to be with Ross forever. Perhaps she just desired him tonight.

Whatever it was, the sunset or the ocean, Rachel had never wanted to see that man as much as she did then.  
----

Ross tucked the ring in his pocket, his hands sweaty in anticipation.

_'Am I really going to do this tonight?'_

He continued down the windowless corridor, oblivious to the people surrounding him.

_'Everyone else certainly wants me to.'_

His mind traveled back to countless conversations with Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and even Joey about he and Rachel.

_'But do I want to? Am I ready? How long has it been, anyway?'_

Twenty years, one wedding, one daughter, one break, one divorce, a thousand tears, and a million memories later; Ross thought over his options carefully.

_'But what if it doesn't work?'_

Quickly, he pushed that thought from his mind as he entered their room, ready to take Rachel to their special dinner.

As she glided over towards him and lay her head upon his, Ross sensed a new ease and sense of comfort about her. In unison, they sighed, and it was then that Ross knew.

They would make it work.  
----

As the couple walked down to their dinner, Rachel noticed a lone white stuffed toy, no bigger than a squirrel, laying forlornly on the ground beneath a balcony.

"Oh my God!" laughed Rachel. "Ross, look who it is!"

"Wina!" Ross let go of her hand and picked up the scraggly toy. "I thought she was at the bottom of the ocean by now."

"Hey, me too. Emma will be thrilled." Rachel said, brushing wavy locks of hair from her eyes.

"Should we bring it to her right now?"

Rachel gazed at the oceanic sunset. "Why don't we take it to her later. I mean, it's good that she's learning to do without her toys. We all grow up someday."

"Hey, what's this? Just a few days ago, you were so upset because she was growing up."

"Well, Ross," she smiled and looked into his deep eyes. "I think we grew up, too."

Together, they walked up a staircase, dinosaur in hand. Their table for two was set with a lace tablecloth and two wine glasses. The ocean lapped up against the boat as seagulls flew in unison, forming an imperfect heart over Ross and Rachel.

"Wow, honey, this is gorgeous," she sighed, looking radiant in the dying sunlight.

The two were seated on the top deck, right next to the stargazing planetarium, a place similar to the location of their first date.

"It really is, isn't it?"

She sighed and reached across the table for his hand. "You know, up until today, I never realized how much I love you."

"What?" Ross wondered, a bit taken aback at her straightforwardness. Rachel had always been the hopeless romantic, her fantasies stemming from soap operas, romance novels, and dreams, but Ross had always been the one to come out and say it. She usually sat quietly, in awe of the way he was able to string words together in a perfect melody without tune.

"I've just never realized how much I love you. I mean, I'm sitting in our room this afternoon with Emma, and it just hit me. We're it, we're the real thing. There truly was nothing before us...and I'm sure that there will be nothing after. Just staring out at the ocean, realizing how big it is, well, it just made me realize that there are so many people in this ocean. And I'm lucky to have found the one for me." Tears formed in her eyes as she looked out at the ocean. "God, isn't it beautiful?"

He was awestruck. "How could you even think the ocean is beautiful? Have you never looked in the mirror? Have you ever heard yourself talk? Do you know what my heart does every time you look at me? I know my beautifuls, and the ocean doesn't even compare to you."

"Wow, Ross. I mean, I don't know what to say-"

He moved across the table to be nearer to her when it hit him. He reached in his jacket pocked and pulled out the ring. As she gasped and began to speak, he put a gentle finger to her lips. "You say it best when you say nothing at all."

Rachel wiped glistening tears from her eyes and hiccupped. "Oh my God! And you're quoting love songs." She wrapped her slender arms around his neck. "Yes, yes, a million times yes."

Smiling through his tears, Ross slid the ring on her finger and pulled her up. "Come here, I have a surprise for you." He led her through a tunnel and into the star observatory.

A pathway of candles lit the way, but the sun still provided enough light. A silk blanket stretched the length of the room, and a faded picnic basket rested in the middle. "Now, I wanted it to be darker so we could see the stars, but I'm sure they'll shine soon enough."

"I can't believe you remember," she gushed, surveying the elaborate scene.

"What do you mean, remember? You can't believe I remember one of the greatest nights of my life?"

"Awww..."

"Come here, let's sit down."

The two sat Indian style on the blanket.

"Now I have a surprise for you," Rachel teased after letting him caress her face in the soft candle light.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I mean, you didn-"

"Guess," she bounced up and down, barely able to conceal her excitement.

"Um, did you...are we...I really don't know, Rach. But I almost forgot," he pulled a small red card from his pocket. "I made this when I was like twelve to give to you, but I never worked up the courage back then." Hands quivering slightly, reminiscent of a shy pre-teen, Ross slid her the card.

Inside was a feeble picture of a heart made out of thick construction paper. In childlike printing, it said:

"To Rachel, from Ross. Will you be my Valentine?"

Tears trickled down her face as she smiled. "Yes."

_'If there were no words no way to speak  
I would still hear you  
If there were no tears no way to feel inside  
I'd still feel for you  
And even if the sun refused to shine  
Even if romance ran out of rhyme  
You would still have my heart  
Until the end of time  
You're all I need, my love,  
My valentine_

_All of my life  
I been waiting for all you give to me  
You've opened my eyes  
And showed me how to love unselfishly_

_I've dreamed of this a thousand times  
Before but in my dreams I couldn't love you more  
I will give you my heart until the end of time  
You're all I need, my love,  
My valentine_

_And even if the sun refused to shine  
Even if romance ran out of rhyme  
You would still have my heart  
Until the end of time  
Cause all I need is you  
My valentine  
You're all I need, my love,  
My valentine'_

Night fell upon the ocean and the stars were the only light they could see. Dress billowing around her legs, Rachel stared out at the open waters, both blissful and apprehensive at once.

Behind her, Ross put his arms around her. "Sweetie," he whispered softly. "What was it you had to tell me?"

"Oh, God. I almost forgot." Turning around, Rachel kissed him gently on the lips, lifted his smooth hand, and placed it upon her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

"Really?" his voice rose an octave. "Oh...wow!" He picked her up and spun her around.

"But, Ross, that's probably not good for the baby," she whispered through his arms.

"Yeah. Right." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Um, Rach? How did this happen, though? I mean...we used a condom. Again."

"You know what? You're right. I have half a mind to call the condom company myself now!"

"We really don't have to, though."

"Yeah, they probably remember us from the first time. Word may spread," she laughed.

"So, wow. We're getting married and having a baby."

"Soon," she breathed, pulling a distance away from him and gripping the wet railing of the ship. "Really soon."

Frowning, he sensed the insecurity in her voice. "Um, Rach? Do you think we're going to be...okay? I mean, is it all happening too soon?"

"Honestly, Ross, what is too soon? Twenty years from now, will it be too soon still? I mean, I was thinking just the other day if we're rushing things, but then I realized that we've always been rushing things. That's just life, a rush. But we have the most wonderful life, we really do. We have a great home, wonderful friends, the most adorable daughter with an extremely lucky stuffed animal named Wina...even though it sounds like 'Weiner' when she says it, well, that will change. Everything does. And if we all have to change, I at least want to change with you."

"Wow. I-I never thought of it that way."

She hugged him around the waist and lay her head on his shoulder. "Not too shabby for Rach, huh?"

"Not at all...not at all."

The sweet melody of a piano drifted up from the dining room. Moving to the harmonious music in unison, they melted away in a silent reverie.

Cautiously, Ross smoothed the satin fabric of her dress around her stomach. "So...when is all this going to happen? The baby will obviously be here in like eight months, but what about the wedding? Will we need a bigger place? I mean, maybe we should start thinking about these things, do you think?"

"Honey," she sighed and became mesmerized by the ocean. If it could figure out which way to pull the tide and support a ship of this magnitude, then surely two people could figure out what to do in life. "I think we'll know when we get there."  
----

_The End._

_**Thank you!**_

_**Mel**_


End file.
